The best salespeople are the ones you wouldn’t naturally call salespeople.
Value is not a zero-sum game. Winning in a business transaction does not demand that someone else loses. Just this past week, I needed to get the air conditioning in my car fixed; it was only blowing hot air. Of course, I had to pay money in order for this to happen. That created value for the company – they can keep paying their employees and continue to provide services to generate more revenue, etc. However, I didn’t lose value – I got a working air conditioner. Had we not completed that transaction, we would both have been worse off.
The idea of mutual value exchange is crucial for sales. Sales representatives can (and ought to) approach calls with potential clients as opportunities for both of them. Viewing things in the opposite way is generally unhelpful. I’d long held a certain disdain for sales; it seemed shallow, disingenuous, and greedy. It can be, but only when done incorrectly.
When conducted in the proper fashion, sales is a deeply rewarding field. The act of connecting one person’s need for a product and another person’s need for money can be far deeper than turning a profit. It requires a great deal of aptitude, social intelligence, and research – and pouring that kind of time into something can be fulfilling in its own right.
Until very recently, I didn’t see sales in this light. I was only familiar with the caricature of sales presented in popular media. (Once again, fictional life does not match up with the non-fictional world. What a surprise!) I was only familiar with pushy car salesmen or telemarketers. I knew that it was necessary for the function of business, but I assumed it was a necessary evil and no more.
What I didn’t realize is that the best salespeople are the ones you wouldn’t naturally call salespeople. A local computer parts and repair shop that I shop at is a perfect example of this. I walk in with some sort of issue, and the representatives are there to help. They don’t push. They look at your problems and match you with a solution. Naturally, this results in both them and the company making money, but it is apparent that the money isn’t their primary motivation. They want to make your day better, and they usually succeed.
The best representation of sales, then, is the facilitation of an exchange of mutual benefit. It helps individuals and companies find the right solution for their issues. It produces revenue and allows businesses to operate and create jobs. Most of all, when done right, sales makes everyone’s lives easier, including yours.